And even though I’ll admit to succumbing to the occasional store bought ice cream treat, they’re so much better when they’re made at home. Once you’ve been spoiled by the creamy, sweet, premium, homemade goodness, you won’t want to go back!

Waste Not, Want Not

I came up with this recipe out of necessity. I didn’t want to pitch the drippings from homemade strained cream cheese, but I also had no idea what to do with it at first. My husband’s favorite dessert is ice cream and his second is cheesecake. So what better way to please the man than with cheesecake ice cream? Though I love it just as much as he does!

You Make Homemade Cream Cheese?

Instructions should be included with your culture when you purchase, however I’ve included instructions for how our family makes it. I would recommend using the Cultures for Health brand, although we’ve recently used product from the website Get Cultured because it was given to us.

Instructions will be similar across the board. You may need to play around with the culturing times and location until you find out what works best for your situation. Our utility room is much cooler than the rest of the house in the summer months so I’ve been culturing the cream cheese in there, as opposed to the blazing hot kitchen. Warmer areas will also need a shorter culture time.

Don’t be intimidated by the time it takes to culture this! There is very minimal hands-on time as most of it is spent letting the cream do its thing.

Ingredients

Instructions

Sprinkle the culture on top of the cream and allow to sit undisturbed for 3 minutes before stirring it into the cream.

Pour the rennet and water into the cream and incorporate by using an up and down motion.

Move the pan off of the heat and to a location where it can sit undisturbed at room temperature, between 70-75 degrees for 12-16 hours. During this time the top layer of the cream will gel and have the consistency of pudding. Cooler temperatures will require a longer culturing period. Don’t let the cream get too warm though or it won’t set up!

Once it has thickened, use a large, shallow bowled spoon to gently ladle the top layer into a doubled up cheesecloth or fine mesh bag. The bottom part is quite watery and it’s not hard to tell what to scoop and what to leave. I’ve never used the watery portion for anything; I just pitch it.

Gather and tie the corners of the cheesecloth before hanging it over a large bowl to drain. I use this bag and secure it with a rubber band to the top of a large glass jar.

Allow the cream to drain for 10-24 hours at about 55 degrees. I’ve never needed to drain this longer than 12. Check on it periodically, kneading the bag gently to move the cream cheese around. If you don’t have a cool enough area you can drain the cream for half of the recommended time at room temperature and the other half in the fridge. Be sure to not let this culture for too long or the cream cheese won’t solidify and you’ll have a runny mess!

Once it has drained, remove the finished cream cheese to a lidded container and store in the fridge. It’s recommended that this be used within 3 days, but if you start out with very fresh cream, I’ve found it can last 1 week.

Reserve the cultured cream that drained through the cheesecloth and into the container. Allow this to set in the fridge undisturbed for a day and separate. On top will be the semi-thick cream with a very watery substance on bottom. Scoop off the thicker top layer for this recipe. (It’s the consistency of runny pudding and has a cream cheese flavor to it.)

Did you make this recipe?

Trouble Getting Healthy Food on the Table Every Day?

Enter Real Plans

Real Plans is an online meal planning software & app that is probably smarter than I am.

It works with all food restrictions to help families find the perfect meal, generate a shopping list, scale it up if needed, and you’re totally in control. Use your own fav recipes, skip a suggestion and tell Real Plans all the foods you don’t like/can’t eat, and it will still do half the work of meal planning (or more) for you.

Real Plans takes the stress out of meal planning and puts the nourishing food BACK on your table. There’s a plan for every diet type, including GAPS, Paleo, AIP, Whole30, vegetarian and more!

Jamie is the wife of Devon and mommy to Liam. She studied Journalism at Grace College and is currently working on a Master Herbalist certificate. She started an all-natural body care business, This & That Herbal, and is the development director for A’amarna Toothpaste. Follow her as she explores how to be a good steward of her God given resources and shares it at How To Just About Anything.

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post to Amazon and Tropical Traditions from which I will earn some commission if you make a purchase. See my full disclosure statement here.

Please remember that I’m just a gal who reads a lot and spends way too much time in her kitchen. I’m not a doctor, nurse, scientist, or even a real chef, and certainly the FDA hasn't evaluated anything on this blog. Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please talk to your health professional (or at least your spouse) before doing anything you might think is questionable. Trust your own judgment…I can’t be liable for problems that occur from bad decisions you make based on content found here.

Some posts on this blog contain affiliate links which generate commission if you purchase anything starting with those links. KS also accepts private sponsorships and we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. More info here.